Blueline Series: Extra Special Birthday
Redhook Brewlab
- From:
- Redhook Brewlab
- Washington, United States
- Style:
- Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
- ABV:
- 6.5%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.64 | pDev: 11.54%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 14
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jul 26, 2014
- Added:
- Sep 10, 2011
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
84
Good
84
Good
No description / notes.
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Reviewed by John_M from Washington
3.53/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Many thanks to Harry (Dabudah) for this one.
The beer pours a fairly dark, copper amber color, with pretty good head retention and lacing. The nose really comes across as an ampped up ESB, a style that I confess is not among my favorites. In any event, I get considerable butterscotch, light brown sugar and citrus, in a beer that smells as if it will be on the sweet side. The flavor profile replicates the nose, and while it's OK, the finish seems a bit off and almost slightly skunky. The label indicates that a belgian yeast strain was used in this beer, and frankly, the beer has that kind of funky flavor to it. I'm not sure it works all that well in an ESB, though it's not terrible. There's something of a banana flavor to this beer as well, which apparently is something the brewer was going for. Again, I'm just not sure how well that goes in an ESB style beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied in this well carbonated beer, and the finish is long, spicey and fairly bitter. Alcohol is well integrated into the flavor profile, and drinkability isn't bad.
An interesting beer, and one I found that tended to open up more and more the longer it sat in the glass. While not really my cup of teaI guess, I was still happy to have the opportunity to try this one.
Nov 25, 2012The beer pours a fairly dark, copper amber color, with pretty good head retention and lacing. The nose really comes across as an ampped up ESB, a style that I confess is not among my favorites. In any event, I get considerable butterscotch, light brown sugar and citrus, in a beer that smells as if it will be on the sweet side. The flavor profile replicates the nose, and while it's OK, the finish seems a bit off and almost slightly skunky. The label indicates that a belgian yeast strain was used in this beer, and frankly, the beer has that kind of funky flavor to it. I'm not sure it works all that well in an ESB, though it's not terrible. There's something of a banana flavor to this beer as well, which apparently is something the brewer was going for. Again, I'm just not sure how well that goes in an ESB style beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied in this well carbonated beer, and the finish is long, spicey and fairly bitter. Alcohol is well integrated into the flavor profile, and drinkability isn't bad.
An interesting beer, and one I found that tended to open up more and more the longer it sat in the glass. While not really my cup of teaI guess, I was still happy to have the opportunity to try this one.
Reviewed by Docer from Washington
3.55/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.55/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: (3.5)
- Pours a dark iced tea brown, rather clear, and has a finger of fluffy head that quickly dissipates to a thin foamy layer with some light lacing about the glass.
Smell: (3.5)
- Certainly has some prominent clove, cinnamon, Belgian yeast notes along with a sweet brown sugar and molasses malt base. Little bready and also seems to have an interesting nutmeg flare to it. Not overly hoppy by any means, but a grassy herbal hop presence does exist.
Taste: (3.5)
- Light banana backing to a relatively light brown ale of sorts. This does have a nice light and sweet brown sugar and grainy molasses touch to the flavor. Light grassy bitter hops, and an earthy touch balance it out. Really quite good.
Mouth Feel: (4.0)
- A rather light to medium bodied beer with a bit of a chewy touch. Also a touch cloying and drying as well from the bitterness. Perfect carbonation, and very easy to drink.
Overall: (3.5)
- If this beer goes as far back as the early 80's, then this must have been one of the best around back then. I know Redhook was a much bigger hit back then with beers like this. This beer is solid, balanced, and has it's highlights.. but a few characteristics of it bring it back down to mediocrity. I would drink it on tap somewhere maybe.
Feb 17, 2012- Pours a dark iced tea brown, rather clear, and has a finger of fluffy head that quickly dissipates to a thin foamy layer with some light lacing about the glass.
Smell: (3.5)
- Certainly has some prominent clove, cinnamon, Belgian yeast notes along with a sweet brown sugar and molasses malt base. Little bready and also seems to have an interesting nutmeg flare to it. Not overly hoppy by any means, but a grassy herbal hop presence does exist.
Taste: (3.5)
- Light banana backing to a relatively light brown ale of sorts. This does have a nice light and sweet brown sugar and grainy molasses touch to the flavor. Light grassy bitter hops, and an earthy touch balance it out. Really quite good.
Mouth Feel: (4.0)
- A rather light to medium bodied beer with a bit of a chewy touch. Also a touch cloying and drying as well from the bitterness. Perfect carbonation, and very easy to drink.
Overall: (3.5)
- If this beer goes as far back as the early 80's, then this must have been one of the best around back then. I know Redhook was a much bigger hit back then with beers like this. This beer is solid, balanced, and has it's highlights.. but a few characteristics of it bring it back down to mediocrity. I would drink it on tap somewhere maybe.
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington
3.73/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
3.73/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass.
Appearance: medium brown hue with a clear, haze-free body. head is two thick fingers of frothy ivory foam. A decent looking beer!
Smell: they were not lying about the banana. Thrown in with this is a strong clove aroma; the malt has a touch of citrus. Some hop vegetation rounds out the end. In a blind tasting I'd call this a dunkelweizen, no question. Not really to-style for an ESB, but it's not bad, either.
Taste: flavor is interesting; it starts off like a yeasty dunkelweizen, then flows into a hoppy pale ale, and finishes off with a musty yeast character I normally associate with dubbels. At the very end there is a dusty bitterness I usually associate with wet-hopping. I love the novelty of this beer, but I do find the execution a little bit lacking.
Mouthfeel: well, its texture is certainly Belgian in character. Medium body with a big carbonation and even bigger creaminess. I actually love the texture.
Overall: this beer gets points for style. I love the concept and I like a lot of its characteristics, although I do think it could be executed more cleanly, perhaps.
Dec 07, 2011Appearance: medium brown hue with a clear, haze-free body. head is two thick fingers of frothy ivory foam. A decent looking beer!
Smell: they were not lying about the banana. Thrown in with this is a strong clove aroma; the malt has a touch of citrus. Some hop vegetation rounds out the end. In a blind tasting I'd call this a dunkelweizen, no question. Not really to-style for an ESB, but it's not bad, either.
Taste: flavor is interesting; it starts off like a yeasty dunkelweizen, then flows into a hoppy pale ale, and finishes off with a musty yeast character I normally associate with dubbels. At the very end there is a dusty bitterness I usually associate with wet-hopping. I love the novelty of this beer, but I do find the execution a little bit lacking.
Mouthfeel: well, its texture is certainly Belgian in character. Medium body with a big carbonation and even bigger creaminess. I actually love the texture.
Overall: this beer gets points for style. I love the concept and I like a lot of its characteristics, although I do think it could be executed more cleanly, perhaps.
Reviewed by Bookseeb from Washington
3.58/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance is a dark amber brown holding a steady head leaving fair lace. Smell seem to have a balance between malt and hop with the Belgian yeast with a buttery note. Taste has the upfront bitter, spice from the Belgian yeast, sweet malt with a little bit of metallic in the back. Mouthfeel is medium - light that goes down slick with good carbonation. A different twist on an ESB that keeps the tastebuds guessing.
Dec 02, 2011
Reviewed by harrymel from Washington
2.86/5 rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2.86/5 rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
bottled July 2011
A: Dark garnet ale with two fingers of toasted cream foam falls to a tormented sheet of the same. Cobweb lace. Excellent clarity.
S: Wow, totally different from the current recipe. The beer showcases yeast with banana and belgian characteristics: hints of nuts. Some nice caramel malt flavors in there as well.
T: A bit of metal up front, then some interesting bittering over the yeast character which is primarily banana and sweet sugars. Some hints of wheat bread.
M: Medium on full bodied with moderate carb for the style. semi dry finish.
O: This beer is a certain deviation from the norm, and is not bad, but when I had it completely fresh it was much better.
Nov 26, 2011A: Dark garnet ale with two fingers of toasted cream foam falls to a tormented sheet of the same. Cobweb lace. Excellent clarity.
S: Wow, totally different from the current recipe. The beer showcases yeast with banana and belgian characteristics: hints of nuts. Some nice caramel malt flavors in there as well.
T: A bit of metal up front, then some interesting bittering over the yeast character which is primarily banana and sweet sugars. Some hints of wheat bread.
M: Medium on full bodied with moderate carb for the style. semi dry finish.
O: This beer is a certain deviation from the norm, and is not bad, but when I had it completely fresh it was much better.
Reviewed by Reidrover from Oregon
3.97/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle from Safeway, S.Commercial,Salem. $4.59. Dark amber beer with a large cream colured billowy thickish head. Aroma is spicy/phenolic, some bubblegum and a touch of grapefruity hop Taste is somewhat the same but with a deep caramel/toffee maltiness under it all. Getting some extra peppery tastes too, not so much banana though! Nice inviting mouthfeel..very easy to drink but not at all simple. A very respectable cross over type ale.
Nov 18, 2011
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